


Six Months

by Spazzo47



Category: The Newsroom (US TV)
Genre: F/M, Fan Fiction challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-03-13 09:24:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18938083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spazzo47/pseuds/Spazzo47
Summary: It is six months to the day since Mackenzie started at ACN, which means Will now has the right to fire her anytime he wants.This is for Lilac Mermaid's May 2015 -- Will Fires Mac.  The only rule is he can't do it on Election Night (2012) like he did in canon.





	Six Months

Will sat in his office staring at the date, October 20, 2010.  Not only did he write it down, but he sent Mac a meeting invite six months ago to make sure that he didn’t miss the date.  She accepted the invite, with a message that said “Oct 20 is a Wednesday.  You better double check that you don’t have to wait until the 22nd.”

Six months ago he read that and stormed out of his office imagining what this day would be like.  He would relish every moment that he spent telling her the list of sins and reasons he did it.  He wouldn’t relent until she was a blubbering, sobbing, shell of the human.  And he would laugh, the way he imagined she laughed at him all those years ago when she was with Brian.  And only after she begged him to just get it over with, he would non-chalantly look at her and with a satisfied grin, the one Trump uses on his useless reality show, he’d say, “Mackenzie, you’re fired.”

It wasn’t long after that that she told him that she would be around for the election.  He called her on it and she suggested making it a bet.  If she was still with the show on election night, he’d take the staff out for drinks after.  When he asked what he got if she was wrong she promised him that she wouldn’t be.  And even though he hated her, another part of him didn’t want to see her walk away from him again. 

He scheduled the meeting for the afternoon.  He made a decision and left the office, he couldn’t see her if he was going to blind side her like this.  When he got back, he sat behind his desk and waited for her knock.  He yelled for her to come in and when she did, he told her to close the door.  She stood on the other side of the room, trying to look serious but not fighting the smile on her face.  “You wanted to fire me?”

Will made a better show than she did of looking stern.  “It’s the first day I can.  You’ve been here exactly 6 months.”

She looked him and said, “so, are you actually going to do it?”

He looked at her and picked up the contract he got earlier.  “I have your contract right here.”  And he tore it up.

For the first time she looked serious.  “Oh my God.  I knew it was a possibility, but I didn’t…  Will, I thought we were getting…”  She cut herself off.  She wouldn’t let him see her cry, or show any emotion.  She would be a professional.  He should have known that.  He didn’t realize until this moment how much of the Mac in his head doesn’t match the one outside of it.  “If that is your decision, I respect it and appreciate the opportunity.”

As she turned around, a smile quirked on his lips and he steadied his mouth again.  Finally, before she could turn the door knob, he said, “And now that you’re not under the conditions of that contract, I’m giving you a new one.  3 years, starts today.  I will still be your boss and the only person who can fire you, but it will only be for the reasons listed herein.”

“What?”

“You’re not under the threat of me firing you any given Friday.  I made sure of that.  Welcome to the team.”

Mac saw the genuine smile on his face and smiled back as she walked to his desk where he held a pen out to her.  After signing her name, she said, “I never was in danger of you firing me.  You know that, right?”

“Get to work.”

The two shared another smile before she went back out to the bullpen. 


End file.
